Greenwich Association of Realtors Community Foundation Awards $50,000 to Six Local Nonprofits

Greenwich Association of Realtors Community Foundation Awards $50,000 to Six Local Nonprofits

River House Adult Day Center receives $25,000 Grand Prize; five organizations receive $5,000 discretionary grants

GREENWICH, Conn. – October 30, 2026 – The Greenwich Association of Realtors Community Foundation (GARCF) today announced its 2026 grantees, awarding a total of $50,000 to six Greenwich nonprofits. River House Adult Day Center received the $25,000 Grand Prize. Barbara’s House, Coffee for Good, Meals-on-Wheels of Greenwich, Neighbor to Neighbor, Inc., and the Transportation Association of Greenwich each received a $5,000 discretionary grant.

Together, these organizations serve Greenwich residents across every stage of life: children in subsidized housing, young adults with developmental disabilities, families facing food insecurity, homebound neighbors, and older adults living with dementia.

Grand Prize: River House Adult Day Center ($25,000)

River House Adult Day Center will use its $25,000 Grand Prize to renovate and redesign its nursing office for participants with higher medical and physical care needs. Funding covers renovations to the existing space and essential equipment, including a Hoyer lift, an adult changing table, and additional clinical equipment.

Founded in 1977, River House is the only medical model adult day center serving lower Fairfield County. Most of its participants are older adults living with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. River House provides nursing care, therapeutic programming, socialization, transportation, and caregiver support.

More families are seeking care for loved ones who need help with mobility, transfers, and personal care. The upgraded space will let River House serve these older adults safely, rather than leaving them isolated at home or facing premature placement in institutional care. It will also ease the burden on the family members who care for them.

Discretionary Grants ($5,000 each)

Barbara’s House will apply its grant to its Summer Youth Program, a free summer program for elementary and middle school students living in Greenwich subsidized housing. The program combines swimming lessons, field trips, STEAM and reading activities, and Friday beach barbecues, with partners including Greenwich Library, the YMCA, and the Bruce Museum. For the past five years, 100% of participating children returned to school reading at or above their last recorded level. Barbara’s House has served Greenwich since 1955.

Coffee for Good operates a Greenwich coffee shop, open to the public, that provides paid, on-the-job training to people with developmental disabilities. Trainees rotate through point of sale, back bar, and barista roles, and receive interview preparation, resume help, and a volunteer mentor after graduation. A new Professional Accountability class, taught by a Greenwich High School special education teacher, adds workplace skills. Coffee for Good has placed more than 35 graduates in competitive, integrated jobs in the community.

Meals-on-Wheels of Greenwich delivers 4,086 meals each month to about 110 elderly, homebound, disabled, or recovering residents, plus more than 265 weekend meals each month to preschool children in need. Each delivery doubles as a wellness check and a moment of human connection. The grant will support food costs, food-safe supplies, and volunteer coordination as the program expands. Meals-on-Wheels has served Greenwich since 1960 and is a returning GARCF grantee.

Neighbor to Neighbor, Inc. provides free supplemental food every week to income-eligible Greenwich residents, with home delivery to more than 100 households that cannot visit the pantry. Its Essentials Room supplies cleaning and personal care items not covered by SNAP. In the fiscal year ended June 2026, Neighbor to Neighbor served 2,496 individuals from 1,008 households, a 14% increase in households over the prior year. The grant will help it meet rising demand as SNAP cuts take effect.

Transportation Association of Greenwich (TAG) provides over 7,000 rides annually for Greenwich seniors and residents with disabilities to medical appointments, grocery shopping, and other essential errands. TAG was formed over 40 years ago by several local stakeholders to provide high quality, affordable, neighborhood-based, specialized ADA-compliant paratransit transportation services to the community. The grant will help fulfill general operating expenses for the organization.

A Word from GAR Leadership

“Greenwich Realtors help people find a place to call home, and we know a strong community is what makes that home worth having,” said Brian Amen, President of the Greenwich Association of Realtors. “This year’s grantees reach our neighbors at every stage of life, from children learning to swim to seniors who need a safe place to spend the day. We are proud to invest in the work they do every day for Greenwich.”

About the GAR Community Foundation

The Greenwich Association of Realtors Community Foundation (GARCF) is the charitable arm of the Greenwich Association of Realtors. Founded in 2024, the Foundation’s mission is to strengthen the Greenwich Community through charitable giving and philanthropic efforts. To date, GAR, GMLS and the GARCF have awarded well over $600,000 of support to local organizations and initiatives. Each year, GARCF awards grants to nonprofit organizations that enhance the quality of life for all residents of the Greenwich Community by addressing critical needs such as housing, resident and elderly services, safety initiatives, conservation and beautification efforts, education and youth development, and more.

About the Greenwich Association of Realtors

The Greenwich Association of Realtors (GAR) and The Greenwich Multiple Listing Service, Inc. (GMLS) represent over 1200 real estate professionals serving the greater Greenwich, Connecticut area. GAR works every day to inspire, serve, and nurture our Realtors and neighbors so that the Greenwich Community flourishes.

Media Contact

Stacey Loh

Greenwich Association of Realtors

[email protected]

203-869-0240
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